Can I go to the ikebana? LOQUAT Nishiizu Summer Festival

In this project, Ichikawa, who is also active as a planner and Sogetsu flower arrangement artist, visits places where NOMURA Co., Ltd. has helped create spaces, listens to the thoughts of clients and space designers, and arranges flowers that are unique to the space.

This time, as part of the summer festival event held at LOQUAT Nishiizu on July 31st, I visited them for a live ikebana performance. This is the second time this year is a popular event where the Nishiizu gourmet that gained popularity last year gathers. It is an important event for the regional revitalization of Toi, where both locals and tourists gather.

*For LOQUAT Nishiizu, please refer to this article.

First, we interviewed Mr. Tomita, manager of LOQUAT Nishiizu.

Manager Tomita
We are worried about the spread of the new coronavirus, but because it is this time of year, we will return to the facility's mission of revitalizing tourism in Toi, take thorough infection control measures, and hold a summer festival to revitalize the area. decided. We have also prepared a lottery where you can win special gourmet meals and beauty treatments at LOQUAT Nishiizu, so we hope you all enjoy it.

Lively summer festival

Red and white lanterns are decorated outside the gate and inside the building, creating a festive mood.
After completing the temperature measurement of all participating staff, the summer festival started while controlling the temperature of the customers and the maximum number of people staying.

On the terrace, you can see people enjoying draft beer and fried chicken while admiring the trees in the garden.
It's a homely atmosphere that makes you feel like you're visiting a relative's house during the summer vacation.

The garden is lined with food stalls run by shopkeepers from all over Nishiizu who have traveled for the summer festival.
A variety of gourmet items such as drinks using Izu fruits, coffee, baked sweets, and shaved ice are available.

A store that sells products using white loquat, which can only be harvested around Toi, held an insect repellent spray trial session and was very crowded. By the way, LOQUAT means loquat, and there are many white loquat trees on the premises of LOQUAT Nishiizu.

Ichikawa pondering whether to eat shaved ice before the live ikebana

The sun is gradually going down

A garden that is lit up and shows a different look from the bright time

For children, there were fair-style games such as super ball scooping and ring toss. The booth will be run by students from Shizuoka Prefectural Izu Sogo High School Toi Branch. While meeting the eyes of the children, they happily served customers.

On this day, six third-year high school students participated, and in addition to playing at fairs, they experienced work as staff in three locations: the terrace and indoors. According to the teacher who accompanied the students, many of the students go on to study outside the region after graduating from high school. He said that it would be good if this work experience could be an opportunity for the students to find local employment.

Indoors, pizza, cold pasta, salads, hamburgers, and gelato made with ingredients from Nishiizu were sold. All of them looked delicious, so I was at a loss, but Ichikawa also had pizza and cream puffs.

go to the summer festival

As one of the indoor events, I took on the challenge of making public ikebana in front of guests. After the summer festival, the finished work will be displayed for several days, and you can enjoy it as a decoration in the hall.

​APPLE SEED FLOWERS in Numazu helped us prepare the flowers.
We have prepared flower materials reminiscent of a tropical country that is conscious of summer.

The place where I will be allowed to go is the stage set up immediately after entering the entrance. Since it is a place that visitors will definitely see, we will keep in mind the mission of LOQUAT Nishiizu to revitalize the region, and aim to create ikebana that will brighten up those who see it. Conscious of the contrast with the pillars that surround it on all sides, first we will create a festival-like festive atmosphere by placing palms proudly like fans.

Once the rough composition is complete, I will add the red and white flower materials that I chose inspired by the red and white of the paper lanterns. I completed the work while enjoying communication with the customers who stopped by to see me and the customers who talked to me.

Materials: palm, dracaena, heliconia, hanging heliconia, anthurium, red ginger, areca palm, hiryushida
Vase: Iron vase Tsuzumi

In the past as well as now, it continues to be a place where people gather as a base for the community

Over 300 people attended, and the summer festival ended successfully with the excitement that some stores sold out the products they had prepared.
At the staff meeting after closing, there was a talk by President Takano of ARTH Co., Ltd.

President Takano
Before this mansion was renovated as LOQUAT Nishiizu, I sent a photo of today's situation to Mr. Kawai, the last owner who lived there. It is said that this place once served shaved ice to local children in the summer. I am very happy that I was able to restore the shine. Like today's summer festival, let's continue to do our best to create a lively atmosphere every day.

Finally, we interviewed Mr. Hiratsuka of NOMURA Co., Ltd., who is in charge of promoting the LOQUAT Nishiizu project.

Hiratsuka
LOQUAT Nishiizu will soon be a year and a half old. It is not only used by tourists, but also by locals who use the restaurant when inviting people from other areas, or take bread from the bakery as a souvenir when visiting other areas. I am happy to hear that it is used as a place for special occasions that has taken root in Japan.
By participating in this summer festival through the flower arrangement project, all members NOMURA Co., Ltd. once again realized that this facility has become a place that blends into the community and is a driving force for the community. In the future, we would like to promote projects that are close to our clients as a partner who runs side by side even after the opening of the facility.

All staff reviewed the summer festival

Finish flower arrangement

It's been a long time since I've had a live ikebana performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I was able to enjoy being surrounded by customers enjoying the summer festival and the staff working energetically. I was very happy to have a customer who took a commemorative photo in front of the completed work.

Thank you to everyone at ARTH Co., Ltd. for allowing us to participate in the summer festival, an important event for LOQUAT Nishiizu.
Hana, can I go to the ikebana? In terms of planning, I would like to continue to visit the spaces that NOMURA Co., Ltd. helped us with and tell them about the situation after opening.

Please also refer to this article for "LOQUAT Villa SUGURO", which opened in July 2022.